Dem Rep. Jackson Lee takes a knee on House floor

Democratic Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee (Texas) took a knee on the House floor Monday evening in solidarity with NFL players who do the same during the national anthem.

President Donald Trump touched off a firestorm in the NFL when he said Friday that owners should fire players who refuse to stand for the national anthem, remarking "get that son of a bitch off the field."

Jackson Lee slammed Trump's invective against the players during her House floor speech.

"That is racism. You cannot deny it, you cannot run for it, and I kneel in honor of them," she said, dropping to her knees. "I kneel in honor of the First Amendment. I kneel because the flag is a symbol for freedom. I kneel because I'm going to stand against racism."

"I kneel because I will stand with those young men, and I'll stand with our soldiers, and I'll stand with America, because I kneel," she concluded.